Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Once upon a time I cherished each and every piece of artwork that my daughters made. Each scribble, every last glob of paint, the darling way that they could turn a single piece of paper into a million little cut-up scraps... those were the days.

But then somehow the refrigerator doors became filled up and, as one drawing replaced another, I started to lose sight of the special way that each one displayed my girls' uniqueness, creativity and imagination. What good was it going to do to keep everything in a container in the basement when the recycle bin was so much closer?

Alas, aside from turning every inch of our walls into an art gallery, I didn't think that there were any other options for saving or preserving childhood drawings. It's not like a piece of paper is going to be treasured in the long run, right?

Handcrafted with all new hypoallergenic materials and an attention to detail that can't be beat, Budsies creates custom plush toys based on children's drawings. And everything from the concept (kids see their imagination brought to life) to the quality (the stitching quality and materials are top notch) can only be described as mind blowing.

The process begins with the design, whether one that your child has already created or one that they come up with specifically to be turned into their future stuffed pal. The sky is the limit! However, Budsies even provides a little extra inspiration, if needed, in the form of seven great templates that can easily be adapted and enhanced by each young artist.

Once your child has put the finishing touches on their masterpiece, it only takes a few minutes to submit it (Budsies makes it super easy, allowing users to upload a photo directly from their computer, send a picture via text or even just email it over from your smartphone) along with a little description.

Then, simply sit back and wait... or, in the case of my girls, fidget excitedly for a few weeks (the website states that it takes approximately five weeks, but our stuffed creations shipped in three) until your box arrives.

I'm telling you, even though I knew that these custom pals were going to be unique and I knew that they would look like the drawings that my kids made, I still wasn't prepared for the complete and utter awesomeness that came out of that box.

Budsies had managed to take Little Sister B's colorful, mythical, dreamy unicorn drawing off of the paper... and place it in three dimensions right into her arms!

Big Sister E, on the other hand, took one look at her magical moon (complete with night cap) and was fully speechless at how accurate the stuffed version was compared to her illustration.

Even though Big Sister E couldn't do much more than stare for the first minute or two, the first words that eventually came out of her mouth were, unsurprisingly, This. Is. Cool. She then turned to me and continued, You write them back and tell them that, okay? Write to them and tell them that this is the coolest thing IN THE WORLD.

Is there a higher recommendation than that?

Not a day has gone by without the girls playing, hugging, snuggling, sleeping and loving their Budsies and the novelty of having a stuffed animal that they created hasn't lessened one bit. I just love to see the outright pride and joy that these provide!

At the same time, the quality of both of the Budsies has been evident from the day that they arrived. While I had admired the sturdy stitching and strong durability from the beginning, the way that they have held up to the constant playing has only proven that even further.

But truly, even I still can't get over just how much attention to detail went into making these so that they would come out looking so perfect!

Is it strange that I want to make one for me now?

We love Budsies. LOVE them.

While these normally retail for $99, a price that would make most people cringe, when I think of the massive amount of time, care, materials and work that go into making each one by hand, it does make sense. Not to mention that right now Budsies is running a summer special where each of their unique, 16" creations are only $69!

But if the fantastic final creation isn't enough of a reason to want to order one of these, remember that Budsies also gives back and makes other kids' dreams come true as well. They regularly work with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Easter Seals and raise funding or host Art Days to sponsor Budsies for kids who could use a buddy during hard times. The awesome just never ends!

You must see one of these in person! Visit Budsies.com (and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest) today to create a lifetime best friend for your child by bringing their imagination to life.

Other than the two Budsies I was provided in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this post in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion about this website and these products. Which we LOVE. Did I mention that?

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comments:

Your daughter is right: This IS cool! The price range does make it a little hard to jump in with both feet, but it's certainly something to keep in mind for a special occasion or special someone. Thanks for the review.